Game apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. L. REYNOLDS.

GAME APPARATUS.

No. 475,469. Patented May 24, 1892.

Mari/my Mac/l www L (No Mddex.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

y I G. L. REYNOLDS.-

GAME APPARATUS.

No. 475,469. Patented May 211, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. REYNOLDS, OF AUBURN, NEWr YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,469, dated May 24, 1892.

Application filed February 24, 189Zr Serial No. 422,602. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Au.- burn, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Game Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to afford amusement, instruction, and recreation to the members of a family or to a party of ladies and gentlemen during an evening or at any other time when they have the leisure and feel inclined to divert themselves thereby.

The game is played with marbles or balls made of any appropriate materials and propelled by mallets or springs attached to the apparatus or with the fingers or by cues, as in the case of billiards or pool.

The invention consists in the improved game apparatus and in the arrangement and combination of the parts thereof, as hereinafter set forth, and finally pointed ont in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

-in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures where they occur, Figure I represents a top View of the board or table upon which the game is played, showing a plan of the game thereon. Fig. 2 represents a section of the same, taken at the line ai; and Fig. 3, a section at the line y of said Figs. l and 2, respectively.

In said drawings@ indicates a central elevated track or way extending from the point b, near the bottom or front end, to the other or top end of the board or table, and c indicates a plain situated on each side of and below the elevated way and extending to the guards c', which inclose the board at. the sides and ends. Said plain terminates at the bottom or front of the board in an ascending inoline or hill d, the line e,where the plain and incline intersect, being curved, as indicated in Fig. 1, the object of which will appear farther on. Upon said elevated track or way are a number of stations, the starting point or station at b being designated as Youth and the terminal station at the top of theA board being designated as Happy Home. Between these stations are a number of others, which I have designated herein as follows, to wit: the irst, Friendshipg the second, Affection; the third, Loveg the fourth, Oourtship; the fifth, Sincerity, the siXth, Devotion the seventh, Marriage; the eighth, Honeymoon, and the ninth Fidelity.7 At each station, or at such of them as may be desired, is placed a wicket or an arch f, which will admit the passage therethrough of the marbles or balls employed in playing the game. On the plain below and upon each side of the elevated way are also a number of stations designated by appropriate or arbitrary names or marks-as, for eX- ample, Robbers Row, Races, Insane Asylum, Penitentiary, Loafers Retreatf7 dsc., as indicated in Fig. 1. These stations are also provided with wickets f', but smaller than those on the elevated way and not intended to admit the passage of the balls, but to operate as obstructions to the passage of said balls in their downward course over the plain. Said plain is on a descending grade from the top to the bottom or to its intersection with the incline d. The grade of the elevated way is also descending in the same direction, but at a less incline; or it may be level, or nearly so, if preferred. The descent of both, however, may be increased by elevating the top of the board, as will be understood.

The sides of the elevated way are graded down to the plain upon an incline, and in said sides are formed a number of coves g or passages running transversely beneaththe elevated way. There are also side tracks or ways h, leading from said elevated way to the plain below, in the present case three; but there may be more or less. The same is true, also, in part in respect of the stations, wickets, and obstructions, which may be increased or diminished in number, or the stations may be designated by other names or marks, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Said stations may,if desired,be distinguished by various colors and by suggestive surroundings, thus making the game-board highly ornamental. Said board or table may be any desired size, even as large as a billiard or pool table.

Any convenient numberof ladies or gentlemen, or both, may engage in the game at the same time, and the game may be played upon such plan as may be agreed upon before commencing to play; but the plan I prefer is as follows, to wit: '[h'e first player orthe one who opens the game places aball at Youth on the elevated way and aims to drive it through the wickets or up the track'or way until it reaches Happy Home, and if the object be obtained the player wins, and to him or her marriage is a success; but if the ball should leave the track or way before reaching Happy Home and descend by any of the side tracks or Ways or at any point to the plain below it is likely to stop at some one of the stations thereon in its descenttoward the bottom, or it may pass them all and land in Divorce Tunnel at the center of the lower end of the plain, in which event the game is lost, and to the player marriage is a failure. Should the ball stop, however, at any 011e of the stations on the plain-say, for example, at Loafers Retreat-the player may then select any station above it-say Penitentiaryto drive the ball to, and, if successful in reachingit, may replace the ball upon the elevated way at the point or station from which it descended, and then proceed as before to reach Happy Home, the same as though no miss had been made. Thus the players all follow in their order,dropping out as they succeed or fail, until all have played.

A great deal of amusement is occasioned when ladies and gentlemen are playingr tolgether by the ludicrous positions they may get into as the ball is descending the plain.

I For example, a lady may land at Prize Ring,

or Loafers Retreat, dac., &c., and a gentleman at Old Maids Junction, Robbers Row, or Mother-in-law, &c.

Should the ball stop at one of the cove's, it is to be driven through to the opposite side of the-elevation, and if the player succeeds in reaching any station he or she shall name the ball may be reinstated, as before said, and the game proceed as above described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The herein-described game apparatus, consisting of a board or table having thereon an elevated track or way, a series of stations indicated by appropriateor arbitrary names or marks along said track or way, a plain situatedbelow said elevated way, and a series of stations thereon indicated by appropriate or arbitrary names or marks and eachhaving an obstruction thereat, arranged and adapted to be operated as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The herein-described game apparatus, consisting of a board or table having thereon an elevated track or way, a series of stations indicated by appropriate or arbitrary names or marks along said way, a plain situated below and on each side of said elevated way, and a series of stations indicated by appropriate or arbitrary names or marks on said plain, and each station having an obstruction thereat,

arranged to operate as described, and for the purposes set forth.

3. The herein-described game apparatus, consisting of a board or table having thereon an elevated track or way, a series of stations along said way indicated by appropriate or arbitrary names or marks and provided with wickets, and a plain situated below said elevated way terminating at or bound by a hill curved at its base and having a series of stations thereon indicated by appropriate or arbitrary names or marks, and each station having an obstruction thereat, as described, and for the purposes set forth.

4. The herein-described game apparatus, consisting of a board or table having thereon an elevated track or way, a series of stations indicated by appropriate or arbitrary names or marks along said way, a plain situated below said elevated way having a series of stations thereon and each station having an obstruction thereat, and side tracks or ways leading from said elevated Way to the plain Felolw, as described, and for the purposes set ort 1.

5. The herein-described game apparatus, consist-ing of a board or table having thereon an elevated track or way, a series of stations indicated by appropriate or arbitrary names or marks along said way, a plain situated below said elevated Way having a series of stations thereon and each station having an obstruction thereat, and coves or passages transversely beneath the elevated track or way, as described, and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a game apparatus, the combination of a board or table having thereon an elevated track or way, a series of stationsthercon indieated by appropriate or arbitrary names or marks, a plain situated below said elevated way, and a series of stations thereon indicated by appropriate or arbitrary names or marks, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of February, 1892.

GEORGE L. REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

A. H. SEARING, S. F. GIFFORD.

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